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Call it 'Browned' not 'Mankaded', says Sunil Gavaskar!

Sunil Gavaskar, the former India Test captain, wants the term “Mankad” dropped from cricket’s jargon, saying linking the famously controversial dismissal to Vinoo Mankad, the Indian allrounder, smears the legend’s name.

The term is used when a bowler runs a non-striker out before delivering the ball, and was coined 70 years ago when Mankad ran out Bill Brown at the bowler’s end twice during India’s tour of Australia in 1947.

Mankad was widely criticised for unsporting play, despite warning Brown several times that he was straying from his crease.

Donald Bradman, the Australian skipper at the time, and Brown himself also defended Mankad but the term – loaded with negative connotations of bad sportsmanship – stuck for generations.

Gavaskar wants the term amended, arguing it should be renamed “Browned” after the Australian batsman who was at fault.

“I have grave objections to that because it’s putting one of India’s cricketing legends in a bad light,” Gavaskar said during an Indian Premier League match on the host broadcaster’s channel. “He has been one of India’s all-time great cricketers. Our legend’s name should not be spoiled. If you want to call it anything, just say the batsman was ‘Browned’, not ‘Mankaded’.”

His comments come just a fortnight after the Marylebone Cricket Club, which oversees administration of the sport, declared it was updating the rule governing the dismissal to “put the onus on the non-striker to remain in his/her ground”.

Good to see Gavaskar taking up the cause of Mankad. My already very high respect for Gavaskar increases even further.

As for Brown-Mankad, yes Mankad had warned Brown repeatedly before getting him out. Brown was getting an unfair advantage by setting off early, and a less polite term for his actions would be "cheating".

If he thinks there's nothing wrong with mankading then why does he have an issue with it being named after the first notable person to take the dismissal? Surely if he views it as a perfectly fine dismissal then he shouldn't have any negative connotations with an Indian great having his name associated with it?

I wonder if there are other actions in world cricket named after other cricketers. A hypothetical example would be if a bowler breaks the stumps on his follow through, the commentators can remark "he can't help himself Finning the stumps!"

In merit vs potential, potential usually causes the greatest heartbreak

If he thinks there's nothing wrong with mankading then why does he have an issue with it being named after the first notable person to take the dismissal? Surely if he views it as a perfectly fine dismissal then he shouldn't have any negative connotations with an Indian great having his name associated with it?

Somehow " Mankaded " has a negative implication .... as if the Runner was cheated !!!! The Law is very straight forward on this count. Besides, Brown was warned several times and in the end he paid the price. When the Runouts are decided by a fraction of an inch, a 2 feet head start is huge. It was the Australian Media that started calling it Unsportsman like conduct. And in those days they got away with it .... not anymore .... thank God !!

Weird,always thought it was quick thinking something that most Indian players lacked in those days and Vinoo wanted to win.
Mankading is awesome no issues with it for me although technically it should browned incase referring to the batsman that gets out in such a way.

In cricket, my superhero is Sachin Tendulkar. He has always been my hero.
-Virat Kohli